- Year 2019
- NSF Award #1758443
- Registration Former Noyce Scholar
- First Name Francesca
- Last Name Reda
- Discipline Math
- Institution Berry College
- School Name and District Currently Teaching Paul Duke STEM High School in Gwinnett County
Abstract
Many students struggle in math because they have a hard time visualizing the shapes and concepts that are being taught, but with improved technology and increased funding, more teachers have access to 3D software and 3D printers. While teachers have been given the resources, they may not be given any information on how to use their new tools or the effects that they will have in their classroom. The focus of this project was to design classroom materials that would effectively incorporate these new technologies. Research has found that more exposure to 3D design can lead students to produce better representations. Therefore, the following lessons expose the students to 3D design while also giving them a concrete visual for somewhat abstract concepts. The research team has developed lessons about cross sections, volume, Cavalieri’s principle, ratios, conic sections, solids of revolutions, and Riemann sums, all of which utilize 3D design and printing to complement the curriculum. The implementation and the outcomes of these lessons will be shared as well as the research-based methods of instruction.
